OpenStax-CNX module: m15582

SHM equation

Sunil Kumar Singh

This work is produced by OpenStax-CNX and licensed under the
Creative Commons Attribution License 2.0

Force is the cause of simple harmonic motion.

However, it plays a very dierent role than that in

translational or rotational motion. First thing that we should be aware that oscillating systems like blockspring arrangement or a pendulum are examples of systems in stable equilibrium. When we apply external
force, it tends to destabilize or disturb the state of equilibrium by imparting acceleration to the object in
accordance with Newton's second law.
Secondly, role of destabilizing external force is one time act. The oscillation does not require destabilizing
external force subsequently. It, however, does not mean that SHM is a non-accelerated motion. As a matter
of fact, oscillating system generates a restoring mechanism or restoring force that takes over the role of
external force once disturbed. The name restoring signies that force on the oscillating object attempts to
restore equilibrium (central position in the gure)  undoubtedly without success in SHM.
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System in stable equilibrium

Figure 1:

Restoring force(s) tends to restore equilibrium.

SHM is an accelerated motion in which object keeps changing its velocity all the time.

The analysis

of SHM involves consideration of restoring force  not the external force that initially starts the motion.
Further, we need to understand that initial external force and hence restoring force are relatively small than
the force required to cause translation or rotation. For example, if we displace pendulum bob by a large
angle and release the same for oscillation, then the force on the system may not fulll the requirement of
SHM and as such the resulting motion may not be a SHM.
We conclude the discussion by enumerating requirements of SHM as :

The object is in stable equilibrium before start of the motion.

External destabilizing force is applied only once.
The object accelerates and executes SHM under the action of restoring force.
The magnitude of restoring force or displacement is relatively small.
There is no dissipation of energy during motion (ideal reference assumption).

1 Force equation
Here, we set out to gure out nature of restoring force that maintains SHM. For understanding purpose we
consider the block-spring system and analyze to and fro motion of the block. Let the origin of reference
coincides with the position of the block for the neutral length of spring. The block is moved right by a small
displacement x and released to oscillate about neutral position or center of oscillation. The restoring spring
force is given by (k is spring constant) :

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Block-spring system

Figure 2:

Restoring force(s) tends to restore equilibrium.

F = kx
In the case of pendulum, we describe motion in terms of torque as it involves angular motion.

Here,

torque is (we shall study this relation later):

= mgl
In either case, we see that cause (whether force or torque) is proportional to negative of displacement
 linear or angular as the case be. Alternatively, we can also state the nature of restoring force in terms of
acceleration,

k
a = m
x  for linear SHM of block-spring system
mgl
acceleration, =
I  for rotational SHM of pendulum

Linear acceleration,
Angular

where m and I are mass and moment of inertia of the oscillating objects in two systems.
In order to understand the nature of cause, we focus on the block-spring system. When the block is to
the right of origin, x is positive and restoring spring force is negative.

This means that restoring force

(resulting from elongation of the spring) is directed left towards the neutral position (center of oscillation).
This force accelerates the block towards the center. As a result, the block picks up velocity till it reaches
the center.
The plot, here, depicts nature of force about the center of oscillation bounded between maximum displacements on either side.

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Nature of restoring force

Figure 3:

Restoring force(s) tends to restore equilibrium.

As the block moves past the center, x is negative and force is positive. This means that restoring force
(resulting from compression of the spring) is directed right towards the center. The acceleration is positive,
but opposite to direction of velocity. As such restoring force decelerates the block.

Block-spring system

Figure 4:

Restoring force(s) tends to restore equilibrium.

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In the nutshell, after the block is released at one extreme, it moves, rst, with acceleration up to the
center and then moves beyond center towards left with deceleration till velocity becomes zero at the opposite
extreme. It is clear that block has maximum velocity at the center and least at the extreme positions (zero).
From the discussion, the characterizing aspects of the restoring force responsible for SHM are :

The restoring force is always directed towards the center of oscillation.

The restoring force changes direction across the center.
The restoring force rst accelerates the object till it reaches the center and then decelerates the object
till it reaches the other extreme.

The process of acceleration and deceleration keeps alternating in each half of the motion.

2 Dierential form of SHM equation

We observed that acceleration of the object in SHM is proportional to negative of displacement. Here, we shall
formulate the general equation for SHM in linear motion with the understanding that same can be extended
to SHM along curved path. In that case, we only need to replace linear quantities with corresponding angular
quantities.

a = 2 x
2

where   is a constant. The constant   turns out to be angular frequency of SHM. This equation is
the basic equation for SHM. For block-spring system, it can be seen that :

s
=

k
m

where k is the spring constant and m is the mass of the oscillating block.

We can, now, write

acceleration as dierential,

d2 x
= 2 x
dt2

d2 x
+ 2 x = 0
dt2

This is the SHM equation in dierential form for linear oscillation. A corresponding equation of motion
in the context of angular SHM is :

d2
+ 2 = 0
dt2

where " " is the angular displacement.

3 Solution of SHM dierential equation

In order to solve the dierential equation, we consider position of the oscillating object at an initial displacement

x0

at t =0. We need to emphasize that  x0  is initial position  not the extreme position, which is

equal to amplitude A. Let

t = 0,
We shall solve this equation in two parts.

x = x0,

v = v0

We shall rst solve equation of motion for the velocity as

acceleration can be written as dierentiation of velocity w.r.t to time.

Once, we have the expression for

velocity, we can solve velocity equation to obtain a relation for displacement as its derivative w.r.t time is
equal to velocity.

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3.1 Velocity
We write SHM equation as dierential of velocity :

a=

dv
== 2 x
dt

dv dx
X
= 2 x
dx dt

dv
= 2 x
dx

Arranging terms with same variable on either side, we have :

vdv = 2 xdx
Integrating on either side between interval, while keeping constant out of the integral sign :

Zv

vdv =

v0

v2
2

Zx
xdx
x0

v

= 2

v0

x2
2

x
x0

2

v 2 v0 = 2 x2 x20
v=

{(v02 + 2 x20 ) 2 x2 }

s 

v2
v = { 02 + x20 x2 }

We put

v02
2


+ x20 = A2

. We shall see that A turns out to be the amplitude of SHM.

v=

(A2 x2 )

This is the equation of velocity. When x = A or -A,

v=

p
(A2 A2 ) = 0

when x = 0,

vmax =

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(A2 02 ) = A

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3.2 Displacement
We write velocity as dierential of displacement :

v=

p
dx
= (A2 x2 )
dt

Arranging terms with same variable on either side, we have :

dx
(A2 x2 )

= dt

Integrating on either side between interval, while keeping constant out of the integral sign :

Zx

dx
p

x0

(A2 x2 )

Zt
=

dt
0

x ix
sin1
= t
A x0
h

sin1
Let

sin1 xA0 =

x
x0
sin1
= t
A
A

. We shall see that   turns out to be the phase constant of SHM.

sin1

x
= t +
A

x = Asin (t + )
This is one of solutions of the dierential equation. We can check this by dierentiating this equation
twice with respect to time to yield equation of motion :

dx
= Acos (t + )
dt
d2 x
= A 2 sin (t + ) = 2 x
dt2

d2 x
+ 2 x = 0
dt2

Similarly, it is found that equation of displacement in cosine form,

x = Acos (t + ),

also satises the

equation of motion. As such, we can use either of two forms to represent displacement in SHM. Further, we
can write general solution of the equation as :

x = Asint + Bcost
This equation can be reduced to single sine or cosine function with appropriate substitution.

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4 Example
Problem 1:

Find the time taken by a particle executing SHM in going from mean position to half the

amplitude. The time period of oscillation is 2 s.

Solution :

Employing expression for displacement, we have :

x = Asint
We have deliberately used sine function to represent displacement as we are required to determine time
for displacement from mean position to a certain point. We could ofcourse stick with cosine function, but
then we would need to add a phase constant  /2 or - /2. The two approach yields the same expression
of displacement as above.
Now, according to question,

A
= Asint
2

sint =

1
= sin
2
6

t =
t=

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T
T
2
1
=
=
=
=
6
6X2
12
12
6